Beyond the Garden Wall
by Child Of the Faeries
Summary: Mimi ends up in a mental hospital after a tragic family accident, and she receives help from one of her old friends. But how far will their friendship go and what will be the consequences?? CHAPTERS 1-3
1. Haunting Nightmares

Beyond the Garden Wallby Child of the Faeries  
  
Mimi ends up in a mental hospital after a tragic family accident, and she receives help from one of her old friends. But how far will their "friendship" go and what will be the consequences??   
  
  
  
  
It was the shattering glass that awoke Mimi. Climbing out of bed, she groped for her slippers. Not finding them, she stumbled down the lushly carpeted hallway. "Daddy?" She hurried down the hall. "Mommy? Is everything okay?"  
  
Entering her parent's room, Mimi stared into the darkest. "D-Daddy?" her voice whispered in the darkness, fear overcoming her. Approaching their bed, she stepped on broken glass. "W-what?"  
  
A shot rang out, whizzing past her head. "Mimi, get out of here!" her mother screamed. Mimi ducked, and fled from the room. Another shot rang out, and Mimi heard her father's throaty yell. A few more shots rang out in the silence, and then the sound of someone climbing back out the window.  
  
Then all was quiet. Mimi crept back into her parent's room, her mind consumed with protecting her family. "Mommy, Daddy, are you okay?" she cried out, running to their bed. She kissed the top of her father's head and pulled back, blood on her lips.  
  
Horror washed over her as she noticed the amount of blood that was spread over their beautiful bedspread. "It's okay..... you're going to be okay....." Mimi cried softly, staring into her father's lifeless eyes. Beside him her mother lay as still as death.  
  
She screamed, unable to contain her horror anymore. The bodies lay before her, reflecting her horror-stricken eyes. Shaking, Mimi collapsed to the ground, unable to move.  
  
  
  
  
"Here's the information on the newest patient, Doctor," a nurse said, handing Dr. Ishida a stack of papers.  
  
"M. Izumi. Recently divorced. Psychotic breakdown, self mutilation, attempt at suicide, visions of a man, and wishes to talk to her monster friend." He looked up. "What happened to this girl?"  
  
"She witnessed the murder of her parents. Evidently, she was very close to them," the nurse said, moving away. Dr. Ishida looked thoughtful.  
  
"Where is she right now?" he asked, running a hand through his golden hair.  
  
"I think she's out in the garden." Matt set down the papers and headed for the back doors.   
  
  
"Hello, Ms. Izumi. I'm your psychiatrist, Dr. Ishida. Welcome to Wellington Medical Hospital." The girl, seated on a large rock, didn't move. "We will have a scheduled meeting twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays." He looked at her. "Well..... what are you doing out here? Why aren't you in your room?"  
  
"They haven't locked me up yet," the girl whispered. "I'm just looking at the wall. It's not like I'm hurting anyone."  
  
"Why are you looking at the wall?" Matt asked, his face perplexed. She sighed.  
  
"Freedom lies on the other side of that wall."  
  
  
  
  
Mimi closed her eyes, hoping he couldn't come to her tonight, like he did every other night. She hated the way he leered over her, his smile cold, and fear running through her veins like cold fire.  
  
She floated for awhile in her sleep, trying to find a peaceful state of mind. Finally her mind quieted, and she tumbled into her bedroom, resting her cheek on the satiny pillows.  
  
A crash of shattering glass. She bolted upright, but it was too late. He was already in the room.  
  
"You're the one that got away," he breathed, running his cold finger down her cheek. She shivered, trying to pull away, but he pulled his knife out and laid the sharp side against her cheek. "Your foolish father and mother died.... I killed them. Just like I'm going to kill you." He pressed the knife harder against her skin, and a narrow band of blood flowed from the cut.   
  
He laughed, chills running up her spine. "No.... go away," she whispered as he towered over her, commanding her. She couldn't move.  
  
"I will kill you," the man whispered again, bending down and kissing her roughly. "But not tonight. Tomorrow, perhaps. We will see."  
  
"Just leave me alone!" she cried out in agony. Turning, he left her room. She felt her cheek, trying to stop the blood from ruining her expensive blankets. Trying to climb out of bed, she fell to the floor, her arms and legs shaking.  
  
"Miss....... miss, wake up," a rough voice said, and Mimi opened her eyes.  
  
"Go away!" she screeched, jumping to her feet. The old nurse sighed.  
  
"Lay back down right now," she commanded, pulling a syringe out of her back pocket. When Mimi had calmed enough, the nurse administered the sedative, and Mimi fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.  
  
  
  
She opened the door to the doctor's office slowly, afraid. She didn't like it here, didn't like the doctors and the cruel nurses that locked her away for hours without anyone else to talk to.  
  
"Hello Mimi," Dr. Ishida said pleasantly from his desk. "May I call you Mimi?" She nodded, and he gestured to a chair opposite of him. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" he asked pleasantly, and she glowered at him. Matt nervously ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry." They sat in silence for a moment. "Would you...like me to put on some music?" She didn't move, and he got up, flipping the switch on his CD player. "I used to be in a band... this is our CD," he said sheepishly. She smiled.  
  
"I had a friend who was in a band," Mimi volunteered softly.  
  
Matt smiled, and sat back down in his seat. "What was the name of his band?"  
  
She scratched her head and thought for a moment. "You know..... I can't remember. It was all so long ago."  
  
"What were you like as a child? Did you have many friends?" Matt asked, trying to get her to open up to him. Instead, she set her mouth firm. She stared at her bandaged arms.   
  
"Mimi..... you need to talk to me," Matt said softly. "Remember that wall out there? I want to help you get beyond that wall, but I can't do it if you aren't willing to work with me."  
  
"I don't trust you," Mimi whispered bitterly. And she didn't say another word for the rest of the session.   
  
  
  
  
"The nurses on the fourth floor tell me you have been having bad dreams," Matt commented at their next meeting. "Would you like to talk about them?"  
  
"No. I wouldn't," Mimi said unpleasantly. "Just leave me alone." Matt sighed.  
  
"When I was a child, I used to have bad dreams. My parents got a divorce, and I had to move in with my dad. For years, I wasn't able to sleep, because these dreams haunted me. Eventually, I told my father about them and he helped me to get rid of them."  
  
"What were the dreams?" Mimi asked, staring intently at Matt. He laughed.  
  
"I thought the souls of my mother and little brother were coming to get me, because they thought I didn't love them anymore. I remember, every night, sitting in bed while the TV. blared in the next room, dreading to fall asleep, because they would come."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"My dad took me out to our balcony, and told me to look up at the stars. 'Whenever you look at the stars', he told me, 'remember that there is someone out there that loves you, and cares for you. This person will never let you down.' I remember his words to this day."  
  
"And the dream went away?"  
  
"In a few weeks. I began to move on with my life, and not focus it so much in the past. I also made several new friends that would help me through all of the tough times in my life." He leaned forward and caught Mimi's eye. "Friends that would never give up on me."  
  
"I......I've been having bad dreams," she confessed, looking at the floor.  
  
"What are they about?" Matt asked, leaning back.  
  
"The killer..... the man who killed my parents....... he visits me and says he's going to kill me....... I get so scared I'm not able to move and I shake....."  
  
"What does he do?" Matt reached across the desk and put his hand on Mimi's.  
  
"He...... This is all so personal," she said softly, a tear running down her face.   
  
"I only want to help. Try to think of me as a good friend."  
  
"He teases and taunts...... cuts my face and lets it bleed..... and kisses me. And I'm paralyzed."  
  
Dr. Ishida looked thoughtful. "Maybe it would be helpful to visualize someone coming to your aid. A.... boyfriend maybe?"  
  
"I recently divorced from my husband. Another man hasn't entered my life."  
  
"Girlfriend then?" She shook her head no.   
  
"Could I.....use a boy I once knew?" she hesitantly asked. "As a child, he stood up for me and protected me when in danger. I haven't talked to him in years, but...."  
  
"He would be fine. Now, describe him for me. What did he look like, what were his personality traits?"  
  
"He had golden hair- so pure it would rival even the sun," she whispered, closing her eyes. "And clear blue eyes- when you looked into his eyes, you knew he was telling the truth. They were the gateway to his soul. He was possessed with this eternal flame, and I often longed to touch it, to understand him better, but I was too afraid. He was the lone wolf, you see, and his soul belonged to no one."  
  
"Dr. Ishida, can you take a phone call from Dr. Kido?" a nurse asked, opening the door. The spell that had overtaken Mimi burst, like a soap bubble landing on a fence post.  
  
"Sure." He turned to Mimi. "Next time you have this dream, remember this boy, and he'll help you out." He dismissed her and picked up the phone. "Joe! Long time since I last talked to you!"  
  
Mimi's eyes widened. Joe Kido. She recognized that name. "Who is Joe Kido?" she asked, her eyes full of shock.  
  
"Mimi, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Matt said, covering the mouth of his receiver. "Nurse, can you bring her back to her room?"  
  
"Of course," the nurse said primly, taking hold of Mimi's arms and pulling her down the corridor.  
  
  
  
"I want to talk about your childhood today, Mimi," Matt said gently. "Can you tell me some of your childhood memories?"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, her face confused.   
  
"On my report, it says that you long to talk to your childhood pet monster. Can you share with me who that is?"  
  
"I can't tell you anything specific," Mimi whispered. "You would never believe me."  
  
"Tell me as little or as much as you'd like," Matt said, an easy-going smile on his face.  
  
"It was so long ago...... like a fairy tale or something out of a science fiction novel. There were 6....no, 7......... 8 of us, and each of us had a monster."  
  
"Tell me about your pet monster."  
  
"No."  
  
Matt closed his eyes. "Okay. What was happening in your family at this time?"  
  
"Daddy was moving up in the company, and Mom didn't like him working so much. They fought a lot.... and finally we moved to the United States."  
  
"Why did you move to the United States?" Matt asked.  
  
"It's a butterfly!" Mimi shrieked, jumping to her feet. Indeed, a gorgeous black and orange butterfly was perched on the outside of the window.   
  
"Do you like butterflies?" Matt asked, a silly grin on his face.  
  
"I wish I was a butterfly. Walls don't pen butterflies inside. They are allowed to go where they please. They are free."  
  
  
  
  
The glass shattered, and Mimi bolted up in her bed, throwing velvet pillows to the floor. "It's only a dream, it's only a dream," she chanted, trying to ward off the feeling of helplessness that was already creeping into her heart.  
  
A maniacal laugh reverberated off the walls, and Mimi jumped. "Hello, my dear," the man whispered, approaching her bed slowly. "It's been a few days.... I think I will kill you today."  
  
"No....." Mimi cried, squirming under the blankets. "Please Matt...... save me. I can't do this on my own....."  
  
The man leaned over her, and a scream echoed through the silent house as he pulled roughly on her hair. " I won't let you get away this time," the man said, his voice hard.  
  
"Matt! I need you!" Mimi yelled at the top of her lungs, clawing desperately.   
  
Suddenly the room was filled with white light, and another man appeared. His blue eyes glimmered as he floated on air, appearing almost as an angel.  
  
The man let out a shout and dove out the window. Mimi gasped and climbed out of bed. She stood a few feet from Matt, shivering in her nightdress. "Thank you, Matt," she whispered, reaching for him. But he gave her a sad look and disappeared.  
  
Opening her eyes, Mimi took a breath of relief. It had worked. Matt could save her.  
  
She was one step closer to getting out of this dump.  
  
  
  
"Dr. Ishida, it worked!" Mimi squealed, throwing her arms around the distinguished doctor. "I called him to my dream, and he saved me!"  
  
Dr. Ishida smiled. "That's wonderful. I'm glad to see that we're making progress. But today I'd like to talk about your suicide attempt."  
  
Mimi's face turned ashen as her eyes traveled down to her scarred wrists. "Please, I'd rather not."  
  
"You need to talk about this, Mimi. Don't you want to become like that butterfly, free to do as you please?"  
  
"I....guess I do," she said sullenly. "I didn't really want to kill myself."  
  
"Then why did you cut your wrists?"  
  
"My husband and I had just broken our marriage and I felt...... forlorn. Abused. Like no one cared about me."  
  
"So you......?" Matt asked, his eyes concentrating on her.  
  
"I thought everything would be better if I just ended my life. I had seen it a thousand times on television. You just cut your wrist and stick them under a running faucet to make the blood leave faster. It was so simple."  
  
"So you cut your wrists.... and what happened?"  
  
"I couldn't go through with it. I called my mom, and she got me to a hospital. They suggested I see a shrink then, but Daddy didn't think it was necessary."  
  
"So you moved in with them, and everything was okay until their deaths, right?"  
  
She hesitated. "No.... not exactly. Sometimes I still felt like suicide was the best option, but I had Mom and Dad to rely on. We always had been a tight-knit family, and we were able to pull through."  
  
Matt sighed. "I'm very sorry for you. As a child, suicide was something I often battle against. I know I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't had some wonderful friends." He paused. "Are we friends, Mimi? Do you trust me?"  
  
"Obviously I do, or else I wouldn't be telling you all of my darkest secrets," she said with a small smile. "You remind me of a friend I once had."  
  
"I'm glad we get along. "Matt leaned back and accidentally tipped over a stack of papers that were placed at the corner of his desk. On the top of the pile was a large sketched picture of a wolf with odd feathers sticking out of it.  
  
A memory fought to the surface in Mimi's brain. "Garurumon?" she whispered, picking up the piece of paper. "Is this Garurumon?"   
  
Matt snatched the paper away, fear in his eyes. " I don't know what you are talking about," he retorted.  
  
A dawning look covered Mimi's face. "Matt?" she whispered, searching his eyes.  
  
"Dr. Ishida," Matt said, a bit unnerved as he settled back in his seat. "Oh look. Time's up."  
  
  
  
  
Matt held his head in his hands. He could get fired for this. Doctors were not allowed to become emotionally involved with their patients. If Matt continued working with Mimi, he would undoubtedly become emotionally involved. He wouldn't be able to help her the way she needed.  
  
He sighed, looking out the window. A stray butterfly flew past, and he knew he was too involved to quit now.  
  



	2. Hopes and Fears

Beyond the Garden Wall: Chpt. 2by Child of the Faeries  
  
Well, this is chapter two.... I wrote it all at work, so it might not be the best work I've ever written....*sigh* What can I do?? I should have the third (and final??) part up sometime next week, but please bear with me, cuz I have lots of projects right now, 'kay?? Thanks a lot!!  
  
  
  
  
Mimi sat alone on her room, he face pressed against the window pane. Outside the snow was falling, reminding her of the impending Christmas season. Already the halls of Wellington Medical Hospital were decked with lights and tinsel, and Christmas carols rang out of the rooms.  
  
She had always hated Christmas. This year it would be all the worse, without family or friends to enjoy it with.   
  
"Ms. Izumi?" a voice called from the doorway. Mimi turned and ran her hand through her matted hair. The elderly nurse gave her a harried look. "It's time for your session with the doctor."  
  
Mimi gave her a small smile and stood. Pulling on her shoes, she followed the nurse downstairs.  
  
Matt was looking out the window when she entered, but turned and flashed her a warm smile. "Isn't the snow gorgeous?" he asked, sitting down at his desk. Mimi nodded politely and sat down.  
  
"So I heard they moved your room because you are improving," Matt said. "We must be doing something right."  
  
"Yes..... I think it's all of the meds you have me on," Mimi said slowly. "I can't seem to think straight anymore."  
  
"We'll be cutting back on those soon," Matt assured her. "You've been here for what..... six months now? And you have been improving rapidly. I can tell by the way your eyes sparkle now."  
  
A flush covered Mimi's face. "But something's wrong." The psychiatrist stared into Mimi's eyes. "What is it?"  
  
Mimi lowered her gaze. "You know my dreams....I've still been having them."  
  
"But I thought that we found a solution to-"  
  
"He always saves me," Mimi whispered, lowering her hands wearily to his desk. "He always saves me, but then he leaves- without a spoken word, or even a glance. Why?"  
  
"I must confession that I'm not a expert on the interpretation of dreams, Mimi," Matt admitted, "but I would say something embedded deep inside your psyche doesn't want him to stay, doesn't wish to have his presence around you."  
  
"But why?" Mimi pressed, her hair falling over her eyes.  
  
"I can't answer that for you. You have to find the answer inside yourself."  
  
"But I can't!" Mimi said, leaning back. "You're my friend, Matt. You have to help me."  
  
"Please address me as Dr. Ishida," Matt said with an air of indifference. "I'm doing all that is in my power to help you."  
  
"That's not good enough," Mimi said slowly. "You were the one so full of friendship, so cool and yet loyal. You stood up for your friends." She paused. "That part of you has died."  
  
Matt's eyes held back his bitter rage. "But I'm the one that is free, and you're the one trapped behind iron walls."  
  
"Matt!" Her eyes flew open, and instantly Matt felt horrible.  
  
"Mimi.... I don't mean that, honest," he said, resting his hand on hers gently. She pulled it away.  
  
She looked at him timidly for a moment. Then her shoulders sagged. "I'm so scared," she whispered, looking out the window. "I'm afraid that I'm never going to get out of here."  
  
"You're going to leave here soon. I promise," Matt said, a quiet desperation in his voice.  
  
"How can you know that for a fact?" she asked, her eyes pleading for assurance.  
  
"Because I know you," he said softly, reaching across his desk and brushing his fingers against her cheek," and I know what you are capable of."  
  
"Mimi gave him a small smile, catching hold of his hand and keeping it close to her. "I don't want to be alone anymore."  
  
Matt stood up and walked around his desk, embracing her in a hug. "We'll get you out of here. Don't you worry." He kissed the tips of her fingers gently. "I wouldn't promise you anything less, Mimi."  
  
Her eyes reflected twin pools of sadness as she rested in his arms. Would he really get her out of her soon, as he promised, or was he just saying that to make her feel better? "Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive." Suddenly he released her and stumbled over to his desk. "I almost forgot. These are for you," he said, pulling out a bag of sugar cookies. "I'm giving them to all of my patients. Merry Christmas!"  
  
Mimi looked at the bag in surprise. "Th- thank you," she stuttered. "But I don't-"  
  
"I didn't make them myself, but it's the thought that counts, right?" Matt said with a sparkle in his eyes, leaning against his desk.   
  
Mimi's face almost beamed. "You're so wonderful to all of us.... especially me," she commented, opening the bag and nibbling on one of the cookies.  
  
"Thank you," Matt replied, watching her with a detached look of awe and sadness.  
  
Mimi laughed. "I must confess I never thought you would be a psychiatrist. I always figured you would be a rock star or something."  
  
"A rock star, with grey hair?" Matt teased, pointing to his greying temples. "No, a rock star wasn't 'stable' enough for Sora, so she forced me to quit. " A look of sad regret crossed his face. "But that's all in the past."  
  
"I was surprised when you two called it quits," Mimi admitted quietly. "But I never really thought of you two are a great married couple, either."  
  
Matt's eyes were misty. "We were too compatible to make it work, far too similar." He gave a shrug. "But now I'm here, and I have a beautiful woman sitting in front of me. What more could I ask for?"  
  
Mimi gave him a small laugh. Glancing at the clock, Matt sighed. "Time's up again for today. I guess I'll see you again after Christmas." With a smile, he ushered her to the door. "Happy holidays."  
  
  
  
  
Alone on her room, Mimi felt a single tear fall from her eye. The Christmas Day dinner had ended, the hymns had been sung. Now all of the mental patients were placed neatly in their rooms, hidden behind their personal walls of steel.  
  
Down the hall she could hear a girl who's family had come to visit, their laughter bouncing off the sober walls.  
  
She was alone, only the barren walls and Matt's stale sugar cookies for company. No one had come to visit her. Looking down at the letter she was writing to Sora, she found that her hands were shaking.  
  
She glanced around the room mournfully, and depression set it, untouched by all of the drugs that was circulating through her body. "No one should be alone for Christmas," she said sadly to herself.  
  
She glanced at a picture that she had kept, one of her friends. "I'm of little importance to my friends, I see. And Izzy........" Her heart felt cold inside her chest, and she rode on the dark waves of hopelessness, feeling lost and scared.  
  
She glanced at the closed door, and then to the video camera that watched her at all times from the ceiling. "Why doesn't anyone care for me?" she asked miserably, tipping the photo upside down so she could not longer look at their smiling, chipper faces. "What did I do wrong in my life?"  
  
The tears were falling faster now, and she felt herself slip into her old ways. Picking up the pen, she stared longingly at the sharp end of it before savagely plunging it into her wrist.  
  
  
  
  
The soft strains of music caught Matt's ears, and he smiled from where he lay on the he couch, sipping on some wine. On his table sat his Christmas presents from his family, and numerous cards, including one from Sora. Resting at Matt's feet was TK's latest best-selling book, which Matt was halfway through reading.  
  
Matt hummed along with the music, sleep calling gently in his ear. The perfect harmony was shattered abruptly when the phone started to ring. Matt sighed as he rose to his feet. "No rest for a doctor," he said ruefully, picking up the phone and setting down his wine glass.  
  
"Dr. Ishida?" the voice said, and Matt recognized it as that of one of the nurses. "One of you patients stabbed herself repeatedly in the wrist with a pen...... We think it would be best if you came down and talked to her.....That is, if you can, this being Christmas and all....."  
  
"I'm on my way," Matt said, sliding his shoes on his feet. "What was the name of the patient again?" There was a pause.  
  
"Mimi Izumi."  
  
Matt felt his heart hit rock-bottom.  
  
  
  
  
Her wrists were bandaged tightly, and she sat half-hidden in the dark shadows of the room. Only her eyes flickered with sorrow as she cast them in a downward glance at the floor. "You can leave," Matt told the nurse, closing the door behind her.  
  
Mimi looked up at him slowly, shame drowning the tears in her eyes. Her face looked haggard and haunted, her hair tangled in a mess. Matt didn't say anything, but stood over her with concern spelled across his face.   
  
Finally she broke down into sobs, her body shaking. Matt stopped down beside her, offering his shoulder to cry on. She leaned against him, her face hidden beneath her hair. Awkwardly he put his other arm around her, comforting her like a mother comforts her child.  
  
"It's not your fault," he whispered softly in her ear. She shuddered.  
  
"I thought I was doing better, than I would be out of here soon," she said miserably, her fingers fumbling with the sleeves of his sweater.  
  
"And you will me. I'm not giving up on you," Matt said, lifting her head. "We will beat this thing- together. You can't let yourself fall back into the past again." He stared into her eyes with burning intensity. "We have to move on, work for the future. Look at how far we've come." He shook his head. "This is just a minor setback."  
  
Mimi looked like she wanted to believe him, but something was holding her back. "When I leave here, you're going to forget about me, aren't you? I'm just another patient to you."  
  
Matt paused a moment, then replied softly," I'll only forget you if you want me to."  
  
  
  
"I'm not getting any better," Mimi said soberly during one of their meetings.  
  
"What are you talking about? Of course you are. In fact.... we've cleaned up almost all of the problems you have," Matt said, a reassuring smile on his face. "Those dreams are gone, right? And we're working on breaking that depression."  
  
"Yes.... but it doesn't feel like we're getting anywhere in here," she said, pointing to her heart. "It still feels the same."  
  
Matt closed his eyes. "I have an idea," he said slowly, his mind working quickly. "Next time we have a meeting, we're going to go on a field trip."  
  
"A field trip?" Mimi asked, a dubious look on her face. "Can you do that?"  
  
"I can do whatever I want," Matt said, a smile on his face. "I'm the ever popular Matt Ishida. And it's for the good of my patient."   
  
"I don't know...." she trailed off, and he smiled brightly.  
  
"Trust me."  
  
  
  
"Close your eyes," Matt said teasingly, pulling her forward. She giggled, taking tiny steps as to avoid anything in her way.  
  
"Matt, this isn't fair," she complained, tripping over her own feet. "I can't even walk-" She heard a door squeak open, and Matt pulled her towards it.  
  
"It's okay to open them now," he breathed in her ears, and she slowly brought them open. He laughed when he heard her squeal of delight.  
  
"It's a butterfly menagerie," he explained, watching her eyes as the danced from one cloud of butterflies to the next. The butterflies rose in the air, climbing up towards the sun, the huge window that served as a roof allowing everything to be bathed in gold from the dying light. "I thought maybe.... this would lighten your soul."  
  
She turned and left his side, kneeling on the ground. She watched the butterflies fly by, her smile widening with each gorgeous creature pinwheeling past her ears. Closing her eyes, she listened to the heavenly symphony of gentle fluttering.  
  
Time passed slowly, and finally she turned and looked at Matt, who was staring off into space. Thoughts tumbled into her mind unbidden, and she felt her cheeks redden as she lost herself in his golden hair and bottomless blue eyes.   
  
Feeling her eyes upon him, he turned and let his eyes fall on her. Mimi suddenly aware that her heart was beating frantically inside of herself, and she rose on wobbly knees. Going to his side, she took hold of his hand.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning against him. He turned in front of her, not a word spoken. A tear ran down her face. "I can never thank you enough."  
  
Matt wiped the tear away with a gentle smile. "Anything for a friend," he said simply, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, and something clicked. Before he could even consider the consequences, he leaned his head towards hers, their lips meeting in a desperate kiss. She closed her eyes, leaning against his chest.  
  
"I'll die without you," she whispered, breathing in the smell of his sweat mixed with cologne. "Don't ever leave me."  
  
"I won't," Matt promised, lifting her head and kissing her once more.  
  
  
  
  
Matt sighed. "Joe, trust me. I know that I shouldn't have kept her as my patient. But I couldn't just let her go."  
  
"And now you love her," Joe said, his face sober.  
  
"I never thought I'd fall in love with her," Matt protested, leaning back in his chair. Joe cleared his throat and looked around Matt's office.  
  
"But obviously you were attached to her."  
  
Matt made an exasperated noise. "I love her, and I will do anything in my power to help her get out of here."  
  
"Listen.... I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm a pediatrician," Joe said, running a nervous hand through his thinning hair. "But I seems to me that you can no longer make a clear judgment for her as to what will be best long-term." He looked at his friend with wise eyes. "There will come a day when she will have to opportunity to go away. You'll want to keep her close, and perhaps what she truly needs to get away from here and get a new view of life, start anew. Your vision as been fogged up by personal desires."  
  
"I would never make her sacrifice her personal life for me and this place," Matt said with a condemning voice. "If she had the chance to leave, I would tell her to take it without a second thought. There is no way I would be selfish like that."  
  
"That's a mighty big sacrifice you'd be willing to make," Joe commented.   
  
"I love her enough to do it," Matt said without blinking, and Joe could tell that he was earnest. "I would let her go."  
  
Joe leaned back in his chair, soaking all of this in. He knew that his best friend was serious. Matt would give up Mimi so that she could have a better life, just like he had given up his band for Sora. He was forever sacrificing his own personal pleasures for the joy of others.   
  
He opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment the door opened.  
  
"Dr. Ishida, we have a situation," the nurse said with urgency, and the two doctors rose to their feet. With anxious looks they followed the nurse out into the front room.  
  
Matt saw Mimi sitting in a chair, her shoulders shivering. "What's going on here?" he asked immediately, his tone cool and collected.  
  
A man at the desk turned around, removing his sunglasses from his face. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am this woman's doctor," Matt said, an mask of arrogance covering his surprise.  
  
The man put his sunglasses into the pocket of his black leather jacket and threw Matt a harried look. "This woman is my ex-wife," he said crisply. "While we are separated and such, I still don't like the idea of her being here at a general hospital." Matt watched the man with dread.  
  
"Izzy-" Mimi spoke up, but he silenced her.  
  
"I would like to remove her from this hospital and have her attended to by my private physician."  



	3. "Things Change"

Beyond the Garden Wall: Chpt. 3by Child of the Faeries  
  
I'm soooo sorry this took so long to finish...I just want to take the time to thank everyone that has read this story and reviewed...You guys are the greatest!!! And there will be a fourth part to this ( I can't end it like this!!! Oy...I'm such a hopeless romantic...) but I can't make any promises as to when I'll get around to writing it.... N-E-WAYS....  
  
  
  
Matt felt his heart grind to a sickening stop. His face mirrored pain as he turned away from everyone, brushing his golden hair from in front of his eyes. Turning back, he caught Mimi's eye and tried to give her a smile that never quite stretched out of a frown.  
  
"Mr. Izumi, I don't think that you really have any justisdic-"   
  
"I don't want to hear it, Doctor," Izzy said coldly. His eyes flashed with bitter anger. "Can I speak to her alone?"  
  
Matt hesitated, and Mimi leapt to her feet. "Izzy, don't do this," she begged, but he ignored her. Joe's fist rapped against the top of the desk, and Matt opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come out.   
  
"I'm looking out for her well-being," Izzy said crisply. "She has no one else in the world to look after her except me." His eyes swept over the hospital with a critical eye. "She doesn't need to stay here anymore."  
  
"I think-"  
  
"I don't care what you think," Izzy countered. "I want you to act."  
  
Matt felt Mimi's cold hands encircle his arm, and he turned to see her panic-filled eyes. She pulled herself close to him, her bandages pressing against his skin, a tremor running through her body. "Don't let him do this," she whispered brokenly.  
  
"Mr. Izumi, I beg you to reconsider," Matt said, his voice regulated to hide his emotions. He didn't want Mimi to get hurt, and in his heart, he knew that he needed her. "She is making so much progress here with me-"  
  
"I'll bet," Izzy said, almost a sneer in his voice. "What exactly have you been doing with her, Doctor?"  
  
Matt felt all color drain from his face, and his lips trembled as he fought to maintain control. "Are you questioning my integrity, Mr. Izumi?"  
  
Izzy paused, his eyes drawn cynically to where Mimi's hand clasped Matt's arm. "Maybe I am."  
  
  
  
Izzy sat on the other side of her room, his face grave. " Mimi-"  
  
Her head rose, displaying her fiery cinnamon eyes. "Don't talk to me."  
  
"You need to understand-" he said, then broke off. "Never mind." He turned away, rubbing his hair nervously. "No, you need to hear this."  
  
"You're too good for this hospital and that second-rate doctor," he continued. "I'm only pulling you out of here because I care about you."  
  
Silence reigned, and far away the shouts of the other patients echoed off the walls. Mimi turned her head, looking outside. "Do you really want to stay here?" Izzy asked softly, his eyes staring intensely at her.  
  
Her hands gave a slight tremble. "Yes....no....." She clenched her fists angrily. "I knew exactly what I wanted until you came."  
  
"What did you want? I'll do anything to help you," Izzy replied earnestly. She stood up and towered over him.  
  
"Anything?"  
  
His eyes were filled with solemn seriousness. "Anything."  
  
"Then stay out of my life!" she screeched, thrusting her bandaged wrists at him. "Did you stop me from doing this? Did you come to me when my parents are brutally murdered before my very eyes? Did you see me when I was so lost, I didn't know my name or where I was?" She knelt at his side, her hair sticking to her haggard face. "I was so scared that I tried to kill myself just to free my soul of those nightmares. Always they haunted me, taunting and leering at my weakness." She paused, her eyes focused on him. "And you never came."  
  
Izzy said nothing, his eyes fixed on a point on the floor, his face grim with personal resolution.  
  
"Finally a man entered my life that truly cared about me. He wanted to see me get better, to see a smile cross my face." Her face grew wistful. "There was just something in his eyes that told me it was him that I had been searching for."  
  
"He's a psychiatrist, Mimi. He's paid to make you feel better."  
  
"No!" she cried, her eyes alight with sudden anger. "Matt genuinely cared for me."  
  
"So you're on first name basis with him. Just how 'friendly' did you two get?" Izzy asked, his face full of bitter amusement.  
  
"I love him," she shouted, and the room resounded with silent. Neither could find the words to say.  
  
Izzy's face suddenly went slack. "The same way you loved me?"  
  
She paused, confusion in her eyes. "I....don't know," she breathed softly. "I'm afraid to fall in love again. It's only caused my heartache and depression."  
  
"Mimi-"  
  
"I don't want to hear your excuses. I want to hear the truth," she said, her thin veil of venerability fading. "Why are you here?"  
  
"Because I love you."  
  
"Stop lying!" She stood and walked to the other side of the room. "I'll never leave with you."  
  
  
  
  
She reached across the desk, her hands trying desperately to catch hold of his hands. He pulled then back and started pensively out the window.  
  
"Matt," she said, her eyes shimmering brokenly, "I won't leave you."  
  
He turned back towards her, his eyes dark. "Don't even say that."  
  
Shock crossed her face. "What do you mean?"  
  
He closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. "I want you to go." His words rang through Mimi's head, leaving her with a hollow sense of fear.  
  
"You don't want me," she said, her voice laced with horror.  
  
Matt shot her a glance, and leaned forward, catching her eyes. "I love you, Mimi, and I wish that we could be together forever." He sighed, his golden hair falling in front of his face. "But sometimes life gets in the way."  
  
She fell silent. "When you arrived here at Wellington, do you remember the first thing you told me?" She shook her head slightly. "You told me that you would do anything to get out of here, to get beyond the garden wall, to where freedom is. This is your chance."  
  
"I don't want to go."  
  
"Those are your emotions talking," Matt said, his mask of professionalism taking hold of his weary and downcast soul. "You have to listen to logic, to reason." He turned away, so she could not see his moment of weakness. "Things change."  
  
She opened her mouth to speak, but he moved to her side, and let his lips fall against hers. Closing her eyes, she felt his lips dance across her skin, and her fingers ran through his hair, clinging to him. A backlash of emotion soared through her.  
  
He leaned her head against his chest, his arms wrapped gently around her shoulders. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound in the room that of the clock that ticked away the seconds.  
  
His lips lingered on hers a moment before he pulled away, grief betraying through his eyes.  
  
"That felt like good-bye," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. He gave her a soulful look, but didn't say a thing.   
  
"Matt-" she started, but he silenced her. His face was shadowed as he stood by the window frame, his eyes watching a butterfly landing on a flower through the window.  
  
His voice was low and painful." Sometimes you just have to let things go."  
  
  
  
  
Izzy graciously set down her bags and waited for Mimi to enter the front room. She shifted uncomfortably, but held her head high as to mask her emotions. "Good-bye, Ms. Izumi," the nurse said as Mimi signed her name at the bottom of the release forms. Her hands gave a subtle tremor.  
  
"Are you ready to go, Mimi-chan?" Izzy asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. She moved just out of his reach and felt her eyes fall on the hallway that led to Matt's office.  
  
"He's isn't coming, honey," the nurse said gently, and Mimi felt her cheeks flush.  
  
"I just wanted to thank him," she muttered, looking nervously at the ground.  
  
"Love, let's get going. The taxi's outside," Izzy said, grabbing hold of her hand.  
  
"Let go of me," she said simply, her cheeks ashen. "I'm not a young child." In a show of cold indifference, she walked slowly into the night air.  
  
Inhaling she tried to brush away any lingering doubt, any ghastly memory that still cobwebbed her soul. Looking out, she caught sight of the shadowed garden wall, the wall that she had longed for so long to be on the other side of. The harsh irony of her situation struck her. Now that she was free, she didn't want to leave.  
  
It was then that she heard it, the faint chords of harmonica music stealing through the air before they vanished without a trace. In a kind of quiet desperation, she followed the sounds to their origin.  
  
He was seated on the bench, his eyes reflecting the stars above. "I thought maybe you weren't going to say good-bye," he said softly, never moving.   
  
"I'm leaving in a few minutes," she said, resting her hand at his side. He set the harmonica aside  
  
"Look at the stars tonight," Matt mused. "You know, the ancient Greeks believed that the stars and planets were dancing in the sky, and in their divine dance, they created vibrations, sounds, and notes- music."  
  
He laughed. "When Sora made me quit my band, I lost a part of my soul- the music. But I found it again, in the stars. As long as the stars were glittering in the sky, I could feel their ancient song of forever in my heart." He looked at her.   
  
Mimi turned sideways to face him. "But when you arrived here at Wellington, something inside of me changed. I no longer needed to look at the stars- all I had to do was see you smile, and my heart would lift."  
  
"Then why are you sending me away?" Mimi said bitterly, and Matt caught hold of her hand.  
  
"I'm not sending you away," he said stubbornly. "I'm letting you go. Letting you go beyond the garden wall."  
  
Mimi leaned against his shoulder, tears streaming down her pristine cheeks. "No one ever told me that it would hurt so much to leave. "She rested her head on his chest, her tears staining his sweater.  
  
Matt nodded, his eyes filled with wisdom. "Love is like a rose, Mimi-chan. While it blossoms, everything is beautiful. But even the roses have thorns that do prick your soul."  
  
"I'll kill myself within two weeks out there," Mimi said desperately, and Matt gave her a loving laugh.  
  
"You will do no such thing, my beautiful butterfly," he said, gently running his hand down the side of her cheek, drying her tears.  
  
"What?" she said slowly, raising her head.  
  
He kissed her lips softly. "When I first saw you here at the hospital, you were trembling like a leaf, scared and alone. You wrapped yourself in a cocoon, not allowing anything or anyone touch you, for fear that you might get hurt more." His eyes shone with sincerity. " Look at you now, smiling and laughing and daring to fall in love."   
  
"I don't want to leave you," she whispered, and he put his fingers underneath her chin.  
  
"It's time that you spread your wings and fly."  
  
"I don't know how to fly without you," she said, the tears back in her eyes.  
  
"You'll learn," he promised, and she closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears.  
  
"Mimi-chan, it's time to go!" Izzy's annoyed voice cut through the darkness, and Mimi slowly rose to her feet.  
  
Matt caught her hand and kissed the bandages gently. Weeping, she pulled her hand away and walked towards the cab.   
  
Numbly she climbed into the cab and closed the door, trying desperately to dry the tears that were falling more rapidly now. "Aren't you glad to be out of that place?" Izzy commented as the taxi started to pull down the driveway.  
  
Mimi said nothing, but closed her eyes and leaned limply against the door of the cab. When she opened her eyes again, she turned around in hopes to see Matt once last time. But all she could see was the cursed garden wall, hiding everything that was inside.  
  
She looked down at her wrist, where Matt had last kissed her, and dissolved into wracking sobs, unable to stop her tears that ran like blood from her eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
